Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

Posted by mrskmurphy

And for those who do NOT want to understand both sides of an argument (as this poster intelligently does) and just want to argue over every innane decision involving raising a child? Everyone should do what they want to do and quit projecting opinions onto others. I honestly don't care what anyone else does/thinks about anything...I do what I feel is right and that's that.

Save the drama for your mama

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

I have nothing to add here except to say that this thread reminds me of one of my all time favorite George Carlin lines


"And now, they're thinking about banning toy guns - and they're gonna keep the f***ing real ones!"

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

I just don't like the idea of my two DS's pointing a toy gun in someones face

I don't like the idea of "pretending to shoot to harm or kill someone"


I've heard too many stories of children mistaking real guns for fake and shooting their friends head off


I'd rather be safe than sorry

I'm from a family of hunters with a father who has a gun collection locked up in the house...but yet I still choose to raise my kids how I want to no matter how I was raised.

My kids are more than welcome to play cops and robbers...and they do...with flashlights and badges.

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

JMO:

I played with toy guns when I was little and pretended to kill people. Here I am 30 years old now and I am not a violent person....
My dad's idol was the lone ranger. He had his mattel fanner 50 cap gun pretended to be the lone ranger. My dad is NOT violent...so we all turned out fine

If Anthony wants to play with toy guns it is not a big deal to me. As long he understands as he gets older it is pretend. As a parent I want to teach my son the value of life in the real world vs. pretend...

I see nothing wrong with it. How is any different from when I grew up to play with guns?

Again JMO. I can def see why parents wouldnt want their kids to play with guns but I feel it is ok for my DS

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

honestly I didn't think toy guns were that popular anymore b/c of all of the hoopla surrounding look a likes.

living in the city, that scares the **** out of me. that real and toy guns can be easily mistaken for each other. the signs in the subway asking you to "guess which is the fake"

if I have to GUESS, it's too real for me.

I played cowboys and indians growing up. they were old plastic 6 shooters. not life life Glocks. big difference.

nerf guns cannot be compared with some of the stuff that is seen out there (but I have to say the Nerf machine gun WITH extra bullet belt I saw at Christmas did not sit to well with me. I think that is totally unnecessary)

I also HATE HATE HATE violent video games. we don't own a gaming system in our home and I do not plan on it for a long time, hopefully ever.

when it comes down to it, I am afraid. afraid of confusion. afraid of mistakes. afraid toy will be real and something terrible can happen.

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

I purchased a neon gun for my nephew and think its perfectly fine (his parents were okay with it) and he plays cops and robbers and says "i am playing daddy who shoots bad guys" my brother is a police officer. He isn't violent in any way and my brother actually took the time to explain about guns to him because he intends to have him come hunt with him when he is old enough. I think in those cases its fine but I also think every child has a different way of thinking of things and as a parent you need to judge what is best.

I think guns can be fine to play with as long as they don't mimic a real gun in anyway. Now I wouldn't buy a toy gun of the child wasn't interested in one just to give it to them.

I think a lot has to say about parents who blindly allow their kids to play video games as well. I babysat for a coworker and her son is playing grand theft auto and some insane role playing shooting games and he is only 12. He is hyperactive, violent and if it were my child I would seriously have issues with his behavior but she thinks he is a normal boy so who am i to say anything?

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

My reasoning has nothing to do with the long lasting effects or the potential for my DC to become a gun toting psychopath or the likes in the future....

For me, I personally do not like the type of play they promote....Guns (real ones) are used to hurt or kill another living thing (or of-course for target practice of inanimate objects)...Nothing positive can come of this type of play in "my" house...Toy guns cannot hurt or kill but the implication is there and thats enough...I would not give him a toy switchblade either (what good could come of that?)

There are plenty of other outlets my DS can use to utilize his imagination and so far he has done a pretty good job doing so without having guns in my house (we actually don't have swords either)...

Can he pretend that something such as a tissue paper roll is a gun ? Of-course he "can", but he has so many other types of play things surrounding him that it is not the first thing that comes to his mind...My neighbors DS is all about guns and thats ALL he wants to play...DS will play along but gets bored with it quickly and moves onto the next game...


The closest thing my DS has to a gun is a Nerf ball blaster....He has a great time pumping the balls up in the air and does not aim it at anyone...he likes to see how high he can pump them in the sky
(like a 5 year old SHOULD be doing)

Can I say for sure that he will always stay away from toy gun play ? No- but I can be make sure I don't have any in my house...My house, my rules, my kid.

He is and will continue be taught about the danger of guns and giving him a toy one is not going to help "me" educate him any better so this is how my house will stay

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

Because guns are not toys. End of story. I never want dd to touch a gun until she is old enough to go to the shooting range w/ DH. Having a DH who is a police officer it is too close to home. Too many kids are hurt every year b/c of guns.

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

I have no problem with people owning guns, hunting, etc but don't see why kids have to "play" with them. Guns are not toys- they are a serious item that can kill people.

Now I don't see an issue with a nerf gun, or water guns per se, more just a toy that is emulating a weapon designed to kill people. I am not a fan of swords either honestly. I don't see the point of pretending to play violently.

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

Kids play with things IMO to mimic adults...My DD plays with a shopping cart,dress up etc...but honestly I would not want her playing with a gun..I do not want her mimicing an adult with a gun (obv not including a cop etc...) but in general you don't see the average person walking around with a gun freely in the open...

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

my son and i had a ball with toy water guns this past summer. i even bought one for DD for when she's old enough next year.

i have nothing against toy guns and don't care if my kids play cops and robbers, etc. we did it as kids and as long as i educate my kids about REAL guns, i don't have anything to worry about.

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

Message edited 1/19/2011 8:55:21 PM.

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?

why is this thread still going.
It is our choice as a parent whether we want our children to play with toy guns or not. Why do we have to keep explaining ourselves??

Re: Why so much hate against toy guns?